


Miracle

by cwgirlup75



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Anal Sex, Cesarean Section, Established Relationship, Gay Sex, J2, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-09-26
Packaged: 2018-08-17 08:59:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8138170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cwgirlup75/pseuds/cwgirlup75
Summary: Jensen and Jared deal with the surprise of their lives.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place somewhere around season three. No wives, no kids.

Jensen awoke to the sounds of retching coming from the bathroom. He sat up in the empty bed and glanced at the clock to his right. 1 AM. Yawning, he kicked off the blankets and headed for the bathroom. He heard the toilet flush as he opened the door and saw Jared leaning against the sink, rinsing his mouth out and holding his stomach. Jensen crossed to him and rubbed his back.

“You ok?”

Jared spit the water out and replied. “Yeah, just an upset stomach.”

Jensen crossed his arms and looked Jared in the eye. “How many nights does this make, Jay?”

Jared didn't answer, pushing off the sink and trying to walk into the bedroom. Jensen shifted, blocking his path. “How many?”

“Look, it's not a big thing. So, I've thrown up a couple nights – so what? It's just some kind of virus. I'll be fine.”

“Seven nights in a row is a lot more than a couple. I want you to see a doctor.”

“I'm not going to a doctor, Jen. There's nothing wrong with me, and you know how I am about doctors.”

“Look, we're not having this discussion anymore. I've given this time to clear up, and you're still sick. I'm making you an appointment with my doctor, and you're going if I have to tie you up and drag your ass there.”

“Fine. Fine – whatever. I'll go if it'll make you happy. And when the doctor says it's a virus, you owe me blow jobs for a week.”

Jensen grinned. “I'd do that anyway. Hearing that you're fine will just make it that much better. Seriously, though,” he said, cupping his husband's cheek, “I wouldn't fight you on this if I didn't love you. You know that, right?”

“I love you, too.” Jared took Jensen's hand and led him into the bedroom. “Let's see if we can salvage what's left of this night.”

“We are going,” said Jensen, pushing Jared into bed and climbing in after him, “to sleep. And that's it.”

Jared rolled his eyes. “Yes, mom.” He made a big show of scooting to the far edge of the mattress. “I'll just sleep waaayyy over here, so I don't infect you.”

Jensen settled himself in the center of the mattress. “Ahhhh. All this room, just for me.” He glanced at Jared's back and thought, “I give him 15 minutes, tops, before he's over here.”

Ten minutes later, after much grumbling to himself and heaving several long-suffering sighs, Jared moved to the center of the bed. “Move your ass over.”

“Nope. I'm comfortable here. Deal with it.”

Jared slid an arm around the older man and rested his head on his chest. “I hate you.”

Jensen kissed the dark hair. “I hate you more. Now, go to sleep.”

The smell of bacon sizzling roused Jared, and not in a good way. He sat in bed and willed his rolling stomach to calm before walking down the stairs and into the kitchen where Jensen was cooking breakfast. “Hey. I was about to come wake you. Breakfast is almost ready.”

“What'd you make?”

“Just bacon and eggs. I called the doctor this morning, and he agreed to squeeze you in, so we have to be there in an hour.”

“Jen, I really don't need to see a doctor. I feel 100% better this morning. In fact, I think we should....” Jared's voice trailed off when he took he took the warming cover off of the eggs and felt his stomach lurch violently. He dropped the cover and ran for the downstairs bathroom, barely making it before the meager contents of his stomach came up. Jensen turned off the stove and followed him. He wet a washcloth with cold water and wiped Jared's face after he was finished, handing him a glass of water.

“You were saying?”

“Ohhhh just let me die in peace.”

“Are you ok to go upstairs?”

Jared took a few deep breaths and tried to gauge how he felt. “Yeah, I think so. Breakfast is obviously not happening.”

“I'm going to clean up down here. You go upstairs, shower, and get dressed. We need to leave in 30 minutes.”

Jared nodded and headed upstairs. He could already feel his stomach settling, but he knew that saying anything to Jensen would be pointless. He took a quick shower and dressed, jamming a beanie over his damp hair. He walked downstairs and found Jensen talking on his cell.

“Yeah. Yeah. Ok. Hey listen, Jared just came down. We'll be there soon.” He ended the call. “Ready?”

“Yeah, I'm ready. Who was that?”

“Just letting the doctor's office know we're on our way.”

“Let's go and get this over with. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can say 'I told you so.'”

They climbed in Jared's truck and headed for the doctor's office. Five minutes into the twenty minute drive, Jared passed out in the passenger seat and slept for the rest of the trip.

“Wake up,” said Jensen, lightly shaking Jared.

He opened his eyes and blinked a few times, trying to clear his mind. “I wasn't asleep.”

“Sure, you weren't.”

They walked into the doctor's office, Jensen worried and preoccupied and Jared pouting. He flopped into a seat in the waiting area while Jensen went to check him in.

Jensen smiled at the efficient looking receptionist. “Hi, Sarah.”

She smiled. “Hi, Jensen. How can I help you today?”

“I brought my husband in to see Dr. Starnes. His name is Jared Padalecki-Ackles.”

She rummaged through charts and handed him a clipboard. “Ok. Since he is a new patient, this form is for his medical history, this one is for insurance information, and this one is to list whatever symptoms brought him in today. When you're done with all those, bring them back to me.”

Jensen took the forms and filled them out fairly quickly, stopping occasionally to ask Jared a question. He handed them back to Sarah and sat down, waiting for Jared's name to be called. Jared fidgeted in his seat, tapping his foot, flipping through a magazine, repeatedly checking his Twitter feed on his phone – seemingly unable to relax. Jensen grabbed his hand and laced their fingers, willing him to calm down.

“Jared? If you'll come with me, we'll get your weight and put you in an exam room.”

The men both rose to their feet and followed the nurse to the back, stopping to get Jared weighed and settling into a room. They didn't have to wait long before the doctor walked in. “Hello, Jensen,” he said, grasping his hand. He turned to his patient. “And you must be Jared.” 

“Hi, Michael.” He gestured to Jared, who showed no signs of answering the doctor. “Yes, this is my husband, Jared.”

“I've heard a lot about you, Jared. So,” he said, sitting down and looking through the forms, “what brings you here today?”

“Well, Jensen's all freaked because I've thrown up a few times this week, but it's just a stomach virus.”

The doctor typed some notes on his computer. “Ok, so how many is a few? Three, four?”

Jensen jumped in. “He's thrown up every night this week, usually in the middle of the night. And he threw up this morning. He's also been very tired for the past couple weeks, and sometimes he gets really dizzy for no reason.”

Michael entered Jared's symptoms and said, “Well, I don't think you have a virus. Your temperature is normal, and I don't hear you describing any other typical symptoms of a virus. So, what we're going to do now is take some blood and a urine sample, and we'll go from there.” He handed Jared a plastic cup with a lid and pointed him to the bathroom.

An hour later, Michael walked back into the room. “We were able to rule out any major problems. You're not anemic, no signs of hepatitis or sexually transmitted diseases, so that's good. We did find one rather unexpected thing in your blood work, though. If you'd follow me down this hall, I have one more test I'd like to perform.”

Jared and Jensen threw nervous glances at each other as they followed him down the hall. Neither one had suspected that anything serious was wrong. Jared felt his stomach threatening to revolt again and took some deep breaths to try to settle it. They entered another small room, and the doctor motioned him to lie down on the exam table.

“Ok, I just want to take a quick look at your abdomen. I need you to pull your pants down to just above your groin and lift your shirt for me.”

Jared adjusted his clothes. “What do you think the problem is? Do I have some sort of cancer of something?”

Michael ignored the question and squirted some gel onto Jared's abdomen.

“Holy fuck, that's cold!”

“Sorry about that,” he said, turning on the monitor next to him and dragging a small tool through the gel. He paused in a few spots, pressing down on Jared's stomach, until he finally seemed to find what he was looking for. He froze in his chair, his suspicions confirmed by the picture on the screen, but not quite believing what he was seeing.

The look of shock on the doctor's face jolted Jensen into action. He pushed closer to the screen and demanded, “What's wrong?” His eyes darted frantically, trying to find some meaning in the shifting gray shapes before him.

Michael shook himself out of silence. “Nothing's wrong. Just very, very rare.” He pointed to a tiny shape about the size of a lima bean. “Do you see that?”

Jared propped himself up on his elbows, eyes glued to the screen. “What the hell is that? Do I have a tumor or something?”

“Definitely an 'or something'. That,” he said, still pointing, “is a fetus.”


	2. Acceptance

Jensen and Jared looked at each other, twin expressions of shock on their faces. Jensen recovered first with a shaky laugh. "Funny, Michael, real funny. The problem with that answer is that we're both guys. I mean, I don't remember all that much about high school, but I'm pretty sure biology taught me that a woman needs to be involved."

Jared had turned back to the screen, looking intently at the area Michael had pointed to. "Jen," he said, in a strangely calm voice, "I don't think he's bullshitting us. Look at this."

Jensen stared at the screen, trying to make out what he was referring to. Realization hit him like a sledgehammer. "Is that what I think it is?"

Michael nodded. "That little flicker is the heartbeat." He handed some paper towels to Jared to clean his stomach. "Why don't we go into my office and talk?"

Michael settled them all in his office and closed the door. "I assume you have questions."

"What the fuck? What the pure fuck? How can he be pregnant? Where the hell is it growing? Is this even safe? Is this thing going to kill him?" Jensen rattled off questions one after another as Jared seemed to tune out.

"One thing at a time. No, it's not going to kill him. Yes, it is perfectly safe. It seems to have implanted in the abdominal wall just below the large intestine. As for how he can be pregnant – well, that's a longer story." He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands. "Male pregnancy is very rare, but not unheard of in the medical community. No one speaks of it because no man has ever been willing to forgo doctor/patient confidentiality. Unfortunately, in our society a man getting pregnant would be branded a freak instead of being celebrated as a miracle."

"But how is he pregnant? He doesn't have the right parts."

"Every male has an X and Y chromosome. In a miniscule number of males, enough of the X chromosome remains for the body to produce a small number of eggs. Where these eggs are stored, no one knows, but research indicates that it has to be somewhere in the abdomen. If a male with these eggs happens to have same-sex intercourse, fertilization can occur. What happened here is that sometime approximately eight weeks ago, the two of you had sex and some of your sperm found it's way into Jared's abdomen, where it fertilized an egg. The embryo then attached itself to the abdominal wall, where it has been growing."

Michael gathered up some pamphlets as he spoke and handed them to Jared. "You two need to talk about some things. I'd like to see you back here in four weeks. We'll do another ultrasound then to confirm that things are progressing normally."

Jared broke out of his reverie and shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you. I'll see you then."

The men rode home in silence, each lost in his own thoughts. They walked in the house, Jared flopping on the couch in the living room and Jensen going into the kitchen.

"Hey, Jay – want a beer while I'm in here?"

Jared hesitated. "No, not a beer. Just a bottle of water."

Jensen paused, two Corona's in his hand. Right – beer was bad right now. He put one back and grabbed a water, turning the bottle over in his hand. Such a small thing seemed like a huge sign of the changes to come. He walked into the living room and lifted Jared's feet, draping them over his lap as he sat down and handed over his water.

Jared looked at him and quirked an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"You said you'd blow me if the doctor said it wasn't a virus. Let's go."

Jensen choked on his beer and swatted his feet. "Fucking pervert." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Can I ask you a question? Why aren't you as freaked out about this as I am?"

Jared shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I can't really put it into words, but it's like – as soon as I saw that little heartbeat, everything came into focus. This is a miracle, Jensen – an honest-to-God miracle. By everything that science teaches us, this shouldn't be happening. But it is. A little part of you and me came together to form a new life. And I really, really want this." Jared sat up and folded his hands, fear gripping his heart. "But I realize that you might feel differently. If you can't handle this, I'll understand."

Jensen just stared at him for a moment. "The fuck, Jared? Seriously? You think that I want to leave because you're pregnant? Do you even fucking know me?" He got to his feet, his anger leaving him unable to stay seated. He paced the living room as he tried to collect his thoughts. "Look, just because I'm not jumping for joy doesn't mean I'm going to pack my bags. But there's a lot of shit to think about here. Like, how is this going to affect you? I mean – I know Michael said you'll be fine, but how does he really know? If this is so rare, how does he know that it's safe? And what do we tell our friends? I mean, are we going to be open about this? And if we are, what about the show? I mean, it doesn't seem like a good idea for you to be working so much while you're pregnant. Do we put the show on hiatus? And I don't know if you should workout so much. I mean, I think...."

Jared grabbed his wrist and yanked him down to the couch, cutting off his babbling with a kiss. "Breathe. Look, I just don't want to force you into anything. It's not like either one of us ever thought this was a remote possibility. As for the rest, I'm not sure what's going to happen. I don't think anyone can guarantee that any pregnancy will go completely smoothly – we just have to hope for the best. As far as telling our friends and stuff, we have some time to decide that. According to this," he said, holding up one of the pamphlets he had been reading in the car, "I shouldn't start to show until 4-5 months. So we don't have to decide everything right away."

Jensen nodded. "You're right. Ok. One thing at a time. So, what else do those pamphlets say?"

"I read in this one..."


	3. Fun In The Shower

“Jared? Hey, Jay – where are you?”

“In the den!”

Jensen walked down the stairs and into the den where Jared was typing away on his laptop. The younger man was barefoot and shirtless, wearing only his pajama pants as he focused on the screen. Jensen's eyes were drawn, as always, to the still flat stomach. At 14 weeks, there were yet to be any outward signs of the amazing changes happening within.

“How long have you been awake?”

“Not too long – maybe an hour. I was about to go make some breakfast for us.”

Jensen stifled a yawn and looked at the clock on the wall. “It's almost noon – why don't we go out for lunch instead?”

“That sounds pretty good. In fact, why don't we call Eric and see if he wants to come with us? We need to talk to him anyway.”

“True. How about inviting Chad and Chris too? Get it all over with at once.” They had agreed not to say anything until Jared was safely past the 12 week mark, and they felt that Eric needed to be the first to know. They had argued a bit over exactly who they wanted to tell. Jared held the opinion that he didn't care who knew because they had nothing to be ashamed of, but Jensen had pointed out that they would not be the only ones who had to deal with the fall out. Their child would be relentlessly hounded by the press and taunted by other kids if the truth got out, and Jared agreed that beside their families, they should only tell Eric and their close friends.

“Ok, I'll just text them all. It'll be faster that way. Where did you put that ultrasound picture, Jay?”

“In my wallet.” At Jared's 12 week checkup, they had each gotten a printout of the picture. Jensen's copy was in the drawer of their nightstand while he tried to decide whether to frame it or put it in a baby book.

“Good. I have a feeling we're going to need some kind of proof when we tell them.”

Jensen's phone buzzed, signaling an incoming text. He typed a quick reply and pocketed his cell. “Ok, we're on. I told them we'd meet at 1:00. Why don't you go shower and then I will?”

Jared rose off the couch and advanced on him. “I have a better idea,” he said, quirking an eyebrow as he ghosted his lips over Jensen's, “how about we shower together?”

The tone in Jared's voice made desire shoot through him like a lightening bolt. Over the past several weeks, their sex life had dropped off as Jared battled nausea and fatigue, and although he seemed to have been feeling better, Jensen didn't want to push anything. Needless to say, he had become well acquainted with his right hand.

He dropped his head and groaned as a wandering hand began massaging him through his sweatpants. He felt himself harden and bit down on his lower lip, holding in a groan. His skin was primed for Jared's touch, and he bucked his hips into his hand. He reached down and grabbed his wrist, pulling it away from him and looking at the other man with eyes darkened by lust. “Let's go,” he growled, running upstairs with an amused Jared behind him. 

He started the water in the shower, adjusting the temperature before pulling Jared in for a kiss. He nibbled at his lips until they parted, and slid his tongue inside. He licked at the roof of Jared's mouth, drawing a whimper from the taller man as he pushed pajama pants and Saxx to the floor. He made quick work of his own clothes and tugged his lover into the shower, pushing him under the warmth of the spray. Jared took control, dragging his hands across slick muscles, bending his head to nip at hardened nipples before dropping to his knees. He extended his tongue and teased the tip of Jensen's weeping cock, wrapping a hand around the velvety flesh. He closed his lips around the head and sucked, causing Jensen to moan and bury his hands in his hair. More of his length slid into the warm, wet mouth as the talented tongue danced along the shaft, bringing himcloser to the edge. He tugged on the dark hair. “Stop. I want to be inside you.”

Jared climbed to his feet and turned around, bracing his hands on the wall and wiggling his ass as he smirked over his shoulder. “Well? What are you waiting for?”

Jensen ran his hands over muscular thighs, digging into solid muscles. His fingers drifted over the twitching hole as he slapped a rounded ass cheek. He grabbed the lube they kept on the shower shelf and coated his fingers. “Pushy.” He nudged a finger past the tight ring, sliding it in and out. As the muscles relaxed, he added a second, twisting them while he worked to ready Jared. He crooked his fingers, pressing down on his prostate and making him hiss.

“Damn it, Jen, I'm ready enough. Fuck me.”

Jensen pulled his fingers out and kicked his husband's feet further apart. He grabbed Jared's hip, using his other hand to push himself inside. Several weeks without this had him on the edge, and he bit down on his lip to keep from exploding before they even got started. He began a slow, steady thrust, wrapping his hands around strong shoulders and using them to anchor himself. Jared groaned and pushed his ass back against him, changing the angle enough that Jensen's cock stroked his prostate with every thrust. All too soon, he felt a familiar tightening in his groin and released, shooting ropes of semen against the shower wall. Jensen grunted as he felt his own orgasm building and sped up his thrusts. The wet slap of skin on skin echoed in the bathroom. 

“Fuck, you feel so good. Love to have you inside me. Cum for me, Jensen. I want you to fill me. I want to have your cum swimming in my ass while we eat.”

The dirty talk pushed Jensen over the edge, and he came hard, flashes of color swimming behind closed eyelids. He panted as he rested against Jared's back, and his limp cock slipped out of his ass. “Jesus fucking Christ, Jay – that mouth of yours is going to be the death of me.”

Jared turned and kissed him, the sloppy slide of tongues mimicking what they had just done. Jensen ran his fingers over the rapidly darkening bite mark on Jared's shoulder, feeling the other man shudder. The kisses turned gentle and loving as the water ran cold. Jensen turned off the faucets and reached out for a fluffy towel, wrapping it around Jared's shoulders.

“Come on. Let's go meet the guys.”


	4. Sharing The News

They dressed quickly, stopping once or twice for a soft kiss, and arrived at the restaurant with five minutes to spare. Eric was waiting outside when they got there, and Chris and Chad arrived within minutes. “Nice bite, Jared,” said Eric, pointing to the partly hidden mark while the other two snickered as they walked inside.

“Grow up, assholes,” said Jared, blushing faintly as he tried to pull the shirt collar higher.

“So,” said Eric, once they had been seated at a booth in the back, “what's this big secret you have to tell us?”

Jensen opened his mouth to respond, and Jared shook his head, pointing at the approaching waitress.

“Hi, guys. What can I get for you today?”

Jared ordered last. “I'd like the roast turkey sandwich with sauteed mushrooms and sweet potato fries. Oh, and could you leave off the cheese and add sour cream and cranberry sauce?”

“Sure thing,” the waitress said, scribbling on her pad. “I'll be right out with your drinks.”

Chris looked at Jared quizzically. “Bro, that sandwich sounds straight up nasty. And since when do you eat sour cream?”

Jensen linked fingers with Jared. “That's actually part of why we asked you guys to lunch. We need to tell you something,” he said, ignoring Chris and Chad making kissy faces on their side of the table. “A little over a month ago, Jared went to the doctor because he hadn't been feeling well. Really long story short, the doctor found out that Jay is pregnant.”

A trio of stunned faces stared at Jensen and Jared. For two full minutes, no one made a sound. Finally, Eric broke the silence with a laugh that rang out through the restaurant and caused people to turn in their seats.

Jensen glanced around and glared at Eric. “Fuck, dude – shut up.”

“Sorry. Really. But that was fucking priceless. Got to give you props – I don't know how I'm gonna top that one.”

Jared fished the picture out of his wallet and wordlessly handed it to Eric.

“Damn, you guys went all out. The pic's a nice touch – whose is it?

Jensen lost it. “It's Jared's picture, you fucking dumb ass. Check the name at the bottom. 'Jared T. Padalecki-Ackles'. Use your fucking brain and figure it out.”

Jared laid a hand on Jensen's arm. “Jensen, relax. We had trouble believing it at first.” He looked at Eric and continued. “It's true. We're not shitting you. As of yesterday, I'm 14 weeks along.”

Eric looked at Chris and Chad, then back at Jared. “Um, how is that possible? I mean, do you have like female parts or what?'

Jensen gave them a shortened form of the explanation they had received. The three men sat back in stunned silence, passing the ultrasound picture between them. Chad spoke up first. “Congrats, you guys. Seriously – that's great. You two are going to make awesome parents.”

Chris nodded. “You really are. I'm happy for you guys.”

“Yeah, guys. Sorry about thinking you were full of shit. So, how are you feeling, Jared? Are you like, sick all the time?”

“I'm actually doing a lot better, but those first few months were rough. Things have mostly calmed down for now though. The main reason we wanted to tell you guys is that we know you'll keep it quiet. We don't want the media or anyone else getting hold of this.”

“You got it, guys,” said Eric as the other two nodded, “none of us will breath a word of this. Swear. I do have one question though. We have three more episodes to film for this season. Are you going to be ok to do them?”

Jensen and Jared exchanged a glance. The topic of Jared continuing to work had caused more than one argument. “Well, Jensen didn't want me to work any more until the baby comes, but my doctor said it was ok, so we compromised. I'll film these final episodes, but let the stunt double do anything even a little risky. After that, we're going to take a long hiatus - maybe eight months or so, which will give me plenty of time to have the baby and recover before we start filming again.”

“Sounds like you guys have really thought this out. Listen, you know that if you ever need anything, just call us up. We'll all be there for you.”

“Thanks guys. That really means a lot.” Further conversation was cut off by the arrival of their lunch, and the rest of the afternoon passed in companionable chatter.


	5. Boy or Girl?

“Hey Jay, are you almost ready? The appointment's at 2:00 – we need to leave soon so we're not late.” He walked into the bedroom where he found Jared pulling at his shirt and frowning at his reflection in the mirror.

“Look at this,” he said, stretching the shirt over the bump that housed their child. “I'm fat. I'm fat and none of my clothes fit and everyone is going to be able to tell.” He turned to Jensen, fear building in his eyes. “I can't go out. People will be able to tell. What if someone snaps a picture with a cell or something and sells it to the tabloids? It could ruin everything. The show might get canceled, and then what would we....”

Jensen put his hands on Jared's shoulders and looked into his eyes. “Breathe before you pass out.” He turned him around to face the mirror. “You need to relax. First, you aren't fat. You're pregnant. This,” he said, raising the shirt and laying his hands over warm flesh, “is just a sign that our baby is growing healthy and strong. Second, no one is going to think a thing because you're going to wear this over your shirt.” He pulled an oversized hoodie out of the closet and tossed it at Jared. “And third, after the doctor, we're going shopping. You do need some new clothes.”

Jared pulled the hoodie over his head and looked at himself. “I guess this looks ok. No one can tell. It's not that big of a deal anyway.” He pulled a beanie over his hair and stuffed his wallet in his pocket. “Come on, let's go.”

Jensen grabbed his keys and followed him downstairs. After twenty weeks, he was well accustomed to Jared's mood swings, but he couldn't help thinking it was like walking through a minefield blindfolded. “Only 20 more weeks. Halfway there,” he thought, locking the door behind him.

As he turned the car into the parking lot at the doctor's office, Jensen glanced at Jared, noticing the way he repeatedly ran his hands over his stomach. “You ok?”

“Yeah, just trying to get the baby to stop punching me in the ribs.”

Jensen parked the car and reached over to rub Jared's side. “You need to cut him some slack kiddo. The more you kick, the crankier he gets. And that's just not pretty.”

“Bite me. I'm not cranky. Besides,” he said, moving Jensen's hand under the hoodie and higher up on his side, “this is where I'm feeling it. I swear it feels like this kid is doing gymnastics off my rib cage.”

Jensen smiled and leaned over. “Listen up, little one. This is your daddy speaking, and you need to stop that right now.” A tiny nudge against his palm made him freeze in place. His eyes got wider as he glanced from Jared's belly to his face and back. “Whoa. I think I felt it.” He slid his hand under the shirt and pressed more firmly against the pale skin. “Hi, baby. Did you just kick my hand?” Another nudge, stronger this time, was his answer. “That's amazing. The books all said I wouldn't be able to feel it for a few more weeks. We've got an active little guy or girl in there.”

“No shi – I mean, no kidding. If it's anything like you, this kid is going to be some sort of crazy active dynamo. Probably figures it should start practicing now.” Jared's sarcastic comments were negated by his sparkling eyes and his hand covering Jensen's.

Jensen leaned in for a soft kiss. “I love you.” He pressed another quick kiss to the belly under his hand. “And I love you.”

“We love you, too. Now, let's cut out this mushy stuff in public before they send out the Hallmark police.”

“Right. We need to get in there so we can find out if this kiddo is going to need pink or blue hiking boots.”

Jared heaved himself out of the truck. He hated how much harder everyday things were with his shifting center of gravity. “No daughter of mine is wearing pink. Purple would be ok.”

Jensen winked as he held the door for his husband. “Sorry. I forgot the pink was reserved for you, princess.”

They walked into the office and went through the familiar process of checking in, getting Jared weighed, and settling in an exam room to wait for the doctor. They had been waiting for about ten minutes when the door opened, and the doctor walked in.

“Hi, guys,” he said as he shook hands with them. He opened his chart and sat down. “Let's see. Things look pretty good – your blood pressure and pulse are good, no signs of retaining water, heart rate normal. Your weight is a little low – normally, by 20 weeks we like to see about a 15 pound weight gain, and you've only gained 9. You need to work on that, but overall, I'm happy.” He set the chart aside and gestured to the exam table. “If you'll just hop up here, Jared, we'll fire up the baby finder and see what's going on inside.”

Jared removed the hoodie and adjusted his clothes before laying down. Micheal squirted gel on his stomach and moved the wand around until he had a good view of the baby. “Everything's in here looks good. Plenty of amniotic fluid for baby to swim in, weight is 10.75 ounces, and height is 10 inches. Right on target. Heartbeat is 160 beats per minutes – again perfectly normal.” He flipped a switch and a fast, rhythmic sound filled the air.

They had heard the heartbeat once at the 12 week visit, but were happy to hear it again. “It sounds like horses galloping,” said Jensen, rubbing his thumb across Jared's hand.

They listened for several more seconds before Micheal flipped the sound off. “Ok, are you two ready to find out if you made a boy or a girl?”

“Absolutely,” said Jared and Jensen in unison, their eyes glued to the screen.

He moved the wand a little more. “It looks like you're having....a girl. Congratulations,” he said with a smile.

Jensen and Jared looked at each other. Jensen's eyes were watery and tears slid out of the corner of Jared's eyes. 

“We're having a baby girl,” whispered Jared, clinging to his husband's hand. “Are you happy?”

“I've never been happier,” said Jensen, cupping his cheek and kissing him. 

Michael handed Jared some tissues to clean himself. “I'll give you two a minute. I'm going to print out some pictures for you to take home and burn a DVD copy of the sonogram.”

He turned off the machine and left the room. Jared wiped off the gel and fixed his clothes, pushing himself into a sitting position.

“We're having a girl, Jen. What are we going to do with a girl?”

“Same thing as we would do with a boy. Take care of her and love her. The rest will come to us.”

“Yeah. I wonder what she's going to look like?”

“If we're lucky, she'll look like you. A little princess with long, dark hair and hazel eyes.”

“Dark hair maybe, but with beautiful green eyes, just like yours.”

“Either way, she'll be gorgeous. We'll have to build a moat to keep the boys away.”

“Oh my god – I never thought about boys. She's not dating until she's 25.”

Jensen laughed. “Why don't we concentrate on actually getting her here? Then we can worry about her dating life.”

“Good point. Hey, now we can pick out stuff for the nursery and clothes since we know she's a girl.”

Michael walked back in then and handed them the pictures and a DVD. “Here you go. I'll see you again in four weeks.”

They thanked him and left the office, climbing in the truck and pulling out of the parking lot.

“You feeling up to some clothes shopping, Jared?”

“Actually, can we just get some take-out for lunch and go home? I think I'd feel more comfortable buying clothes online.”

“We can do that. We can look at stuff for the nursery, too.”

“Sounds good.” Jared yawned and leaned the seat back. “Wake me when we get home.”

“Will do.” Jensen glanced over at Jared and smiled at the way he settled in to sleep, one hand protectively cradling their unborn daughter.

Almost an hour later, Jensen shook Jared awake. “We're home.”

Jared stretched and hefted himself out of the truck. “How could I have only gained nine pounds? I feel like I'm carrying an extra thirty.”

They walked in the house, and Jensen set the food on the table. “Bring your laptop in here so we can eat while we look at stuff.”

He unloaded the Chinese food while Jared booted up his computer. “What'd you get?”

“Cashew chicken, beef and broccoli, spring rolls, lo mein, and veggie fried rice.”

“Load me up. Your daughter is starving and kicking me again.”

Jensen started making up a plate of food. “My daughter, huh? So when she acts up she's just my daughter?”

“You got it. And she said she wants more lo mein than that.” He got a bottle of water and sat down, shoving some fried rice in his mouth. “So the clothes situation shouldn't be too hard. It's getting cooler so I can get by with some bigger shirts and sweatshirts. I'll get a couple of larger jackets and a coat in case it gets really cold. For pants, I'll mostly stick to sweatpants, but I'll buy a few pairs of nicer slacks too.”

“Sounds good. If you need anything bigger later on, we'll go the same route.” Jensen took a bite of chicken and pulled the computer toward him. “Let me show you this nursery setup I came across the other day. I thought it would be good for a boy or girl.” He clicked the mouse a few times and turned the screen toward Jared, moving his own chair so that they could both see. “What do you think?”

Jared studied the pictures for a minute, clicking here and there to enlarge parts of the screen. The walls were cream colored with a light gray ceiling. The crib and dresser were black, with black and white bedding and curtains. The changing table and glider were black with red pads. Various pictures in red and black frames were hung throughout the nursery, and black carpeting covered the floor. Jensen leaned over and pointed at the screen. “See, I thought we could paint her name in red right here over the crib once we decide on one, and since our nursery has hardwood flooring, we can get a black throw rug to put by the crib.”

Jared looked at Jensen and smiled. “I like it. I think it's perfect for a baby of ours.”

“I knew you'd love it. Let's finish eating and go watch some TV.”


	6. Choosing A Name

“What do you think about a vacation?”

Jared looked up from his laptop, where he was searching for baby names. “What?”

“A vacation. You and me. What do you think?”

“When?”

“Soon. You're 28 weeks. I don't want you flying much longer.” He walked over to Jared and ran his finger's along the younger man's neck as he spoke. “We could take the plane and just go somewhere for a week or so, just us.”

Jared let his head fall back as Jensen began to massage his shoulders, kneading tight muscles. “I don't want to be around a lot of people right now. You know that.”

“I know. That's why this place is perfect. It's a house in the Aruba with a private beach. We can Jet-Ski or go out in the speedboat, or you can just lay out in the sun while I swim if you want. The beach is completely private – you can lay on the beach naked if you want to, and no one will see. It also has a game room, an in-home theater, and a gym.”

Jared mulled the idea. The thought of being able to lay out in the sun was very tempting. His pregnancy was advanced enough that he didn't feel comfortable being out of the house unless he was covered by a baggy sweatshirt or jacket. Being able to be out in only his swim trunks or even naked sounded like heaven.

“Well, we'd need to go soon. Like you said, I won't be able to fly much longer.”

Jensen smiled. “Is tomorrow soon enough?”

Jared spun around to face him. “What? Holy shit! I mean holy crap....I mean – nevermind. Geez, Jen, tomorrow?? How the hell am I going to be able to get all my clothes and stuff ready in less than 24 hours?”

“We don't need to take much. Razors, toothbrushes, shampoo, things like that. Our swim trunks and some clothes. Your allergy meds and prenatal vitamins. There's a laundry room in the house if we run out of clothes. Besides,” he added with a wink, “if I have my way, you'll be wearing as little as possible.” He punctuated his statement by trailing kisses down Jared's neck.

Jared tilted his head, allowing him access to more skin. “Mmmmm. I like the sound of that.”

Jensen grinned at him. “So do I. Let's put a bookmark in this and go pack. We'll pick up where we left off once when get there.” 

“Fine. But you owe me one.”

The next morning Jared was grumbling as he trailed Jensen through the airport. “Tell me again why we're here at 5:30 AM?”

“Because, like I told you before, we had to fly early to keep from arriving in the middle of the night. This way, we'll leave here early and get there in the evening . Hopefully, we'll be able to get a decent amount of sleep and avoid jet lag that way. And anyway,” he said, glancing at the luggage cart he was pushing, “I'm still wondering how you interpret 'pack light' as three suitcases and a duffel bag. I should have known your diva self would bring everything in the closet.”

“Hey, you never know what you're going to need. We're going to be there a whole week.”

Jensen rolled his eyes. “You're lucky I love you.”

They made it to the hangar, greeted their pilot, and boarded the plane. Jared pulled a thick book out of his bag as Jensen took out his iPod.

Jensen glanced at his book. “What's that?”

Jared showed him the cover. 60,001 Best Baby Names. “Since we're going to be traveling for hours, I figure we can use the time to decide on a name.”

“I guess we could work on it. Let me see that.” Jensen studied the book, losing track of time as he read endless lists of names.

They took off and flew steadily. Jared fidgeted in his seat, trying to get comfortable.

“You ok?”

“Yeah. Just really tired,” he said, leaning closer to Jensen, “and it feels like she's doing back-flips in there.”

Jensen pulled Jared closer and put an arm around him. “Recline your seat.” He eased his head onto his shoulder and kissed the dark hair, smiling as he felt Jared sigh and relax against him. “You'll feel better after you rest. And you, little lady,” he whispered, snaking a hand under the baggy jacket to touch his stomach, “settle down. Don't make me come in there.” 

Jared dozed for a few hours, waking when lunch was served. He dug into BBQ grilled chicken salad with a side of mixed fruit and cubes of angel food cake, then broke into their stash of snacks and polished off a sleeve of Saltines and two bottles of water before he was full. Jensen smiled to himself while he ate his own lunch. Jared's appetite had picked up over the last month, and he always seemed to be hungry.

Jared burped softly and pushed his plate to the side. “Excuse me. So, do you have any ideas for names?”

“Yeah. I made a list while you were sleeping.”

“Cool. I've got a list of my own.” He rooted around in his bag and came up with a slightly crumpled piece of paper. “How about this? We take turns reading names, and we only put names on the maybe list that we both agree on.”

“Sounds good. Want to go first?”

“Ok. Anne?”

“Too plain. Amber?”

“Sounds too much like a stripper. Alexandra?”

“I like that. Put it on the maybe list. Khloe?”

“As in Kardashian? That would be a no. Tegan?”

“Sounds like something from a soap opera. Violet?”

“I don't want my kid named after a flower. Genevieve?”

“Geez, Jared. Just put a 'Kick Me' sign on the kid now. Charlotte?”

“Maybe list. Donna?”

“Sounds like an 80's sitcom housewife. Alexis?”

“Sounds like someone in a mental hospital. Jennifer?”

“Too common. Bella?”

“No way I'm giving her a name from 'Twilight'. Sarah?”

“Maybe list. Clara?”

“She's not an 80 year old retiree, Jensen. Emma?”

“Maybe list. Reagan?”

“Maybe list. Any more?”

“That's all I had. You?”

“No more. Ok, so we've got Sarah, Charlotte, Alexandra, Emma, and Reagan.”

“I like Reagan for a middle name.”

“Yeah. That sounds good. What about a first name?”

“How about Sarah?”

“Sarah Reagan. I don't know. It still sounds a little plain. I mean, how many other Sarah's do you think she's going to be in school with?”

“Good point. How about Reagan for the first name?”

“I like Reagan. What do you think of Breanna?”

Jared thought about it for a moment and smiled at Jensen. “I think we just named our daughter.”

“I think so too. Reagan Breanna Padalecki-Ackles.”


	7. Vacation And A Surprise

Jared lay in the hammock, basking in the feel of the sun beating down on his bare skin. He ran his hands over his stomach, feeling Reagan tumble and kick as if she were enjoying the sun too. He stretched and debated between hauling himself up to grab a bottle of water from the cooler or taking a nap. The nap idea won out, and he rolled his head to the side, catching a glimpse of Jensen swimming in the ocean.

His breath caught in his throat when what felt like half the blood in his body rushed south. All thoughts of napping were forgotten as his cock lay firm against his burgeoning belly. He groaned as he wrapped a hand around himself. The pregnancy hormones were going to kill him. He hadn't whacked off so much since high school, but in the past few weeks, his cock seemed to have a mind of its own. 

Jared stroked himself firmly as he watched his lover slice through the water, the sun glinting off his lean body. Closing his eyes, he imagined that his hand was Jensen's warm mouth. He tightened his grip as he pictured pink lips wrapped around his cock and felt pre-cum slide down the shaft and over his hand. His fingers ghosted over the head, rubbing the sensitive underside and drawing more fluid from the tip. He brought his knees up and gently rolled his balls before letting his hand creep down to his twitching hole. He petted the skin there and sped up his strokes, the hammock swaying with his movement.

“I see you started without me.”

Jared's eyes flew open at the sound of Jensen's voice. Caught up in his fantasy, he hadn't heard the other man walking toward him. Droplets of water rolled down his chest and abs, disappearing into the waistband of his trunks. He reached for the younger man, fingers itching to follow the drops, and whimpered when he moved away. Jensen nudged his hand away from his ass and eased a wet finger inside, pumping it in and out. Jared's breath quickened and thighs tightened as his orgasm hit, ropes of silvery semen covering his belly and hand. His eyes drifted shut and he panted as his softening cock lay against his hip and the last few tremors rippled through him. 

A smile flickered across his lips as he felt Jensen lap the fluid from his stomach and kiss the sun warmed skin before lifting his cum covered hand and sucking the long fingers clean. 

“You and your fucking cum fetish.”

“Hey, it's full of protein and vitamins. Aren't you the one who's always telling me that I don't get enough protein?”

Jared snorted. “Whatever.”

He opened his eyes as Jensen tugged at his hand. His cock was tenting his swim trunks as his eyes pleaded with Jared. “Let's go inside.”

“Why can't we just stay out here? We've never had sex in a hammock before.”

“And we're not going to start. I have no desire to find myself flipped onto the sand in the middle of making love to you. Besides,” he said, pinching Jared's nipple, “there's more room in our bed.”

Jared's cock twitched with interest, and he let Jensen pull him to his feet and lead him into the house. They walked upstairs and Jared flopped onto the bed, watching intently as Jensen dried himself and shed his swim trunks. He climbed onto the bed and sat back on his heels, stroking himself as he gazed at his pregnant husband with predatory lust in his eyes.

Jared felt his cheeks flush under the heated stare, and he fought to keep from squirming. “The hell, Jensen? What are you staring at?”

“God, Jared. You are so beautiful.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, real beautiful. I'm fat as hell, I have stretch marks on my hips, I'm starting to waddle instead of walk...”

Jensen pinched the bottom of his foot, drawing a yelp from the younger man. “Stop. Just stop. I'm tired of you calling yourself fat and putting yourself down. You don't even know, Jared. You have no fucking idea what the sight of you like this does to me. I can barely keep my hands off you sometimes. If I could keep you pregnant all the time, I might be tempted to try, because seeing your belly swollen with our baby makes me crazy.” He rested his hands on Jared's stomach, dropping kisses on the taut skin as the baby shifted. “Go to sleep, little one. Your papa and I are going to play.”

He moved over Jared, one hand on either side of his head as he leaned down for a kiss. He licked the full lips until they opened and dipped his tongue inside, grazing along the roof of Jared's mouth before twining their tongues together. He pulled his tongue back as the dark haired man chased it back into his mouth. They kissed again and again until Jensen pulled away to attack Jared's neck. He sucked the sensitive skin hard, drawing the blood to the surface as he moaned and arched his neck.

Jensen licked and nipped his way down Jared's chest, stopping at the tight nipples. He licked the tight bud and blew cold air over it, smiling as the older man ground his hard cock against Jensen's thigh. “Like that, baby?”

Jared growled in frustration as Jensen slowly moved down, leaving a trail of open mouthed kisses across his stomach and dipping his tongue into his navel. “Damn it, Jensen. Suck me. Or at least touch my cock. I'm about to die from blue balls.”

“So impatient.” He licked a path across Jared's hips, stopping to kiss the tiny stretch marks. He spread the newly tanned thighs and nipped the sensitive skin before placing a kiss on the area just under his balls. The younger man sucked in a breath and whimpered when he felt Jensen spread his ass. He squeezed the firm cheeks and moved his index finger over the puckering hole, rubbing gently. Jared arched his back when Jensen began to lick his asshole with long swipes of his tongue. His hard cock curved against his stomach, leaking a steady stream of pre-cum as his asshole was stimulated. He rubbed the head as Jensen tongued him, pressing his fingers against the underside of the crown.

Jensen pulled away and sat back, grabbing the lube off the bed. He lay on his back against the pillows and slicked up his cock as Jared straddled his hips. He was still fairly open from their morning round of love making and sank down on Jensen's dick in one long movement. Jensen held himself still, stroking his lover's thighs as he waited for him to adjust. A moment later, Jared anchored his hands against Jensen's chest and began to move. Hazel eyes met green as he rode him, the thick shaft nudging his prostate. He moaned as a hand gasped his erection, practiced strokes bringing him closer to the edge.

“Ohhhh. Fuck yeah, Jen, just like that. Shit, shit, shit.”

“Cum for me, Jared. I want to see you.” He twisted his wrist and slid his hand over the head as Jared fell apart, covering his hand in warm fluid. The older man stilled as Jensen milked his cock, hissing when the flesh got too sensitive to be touched. He watched with hooded eyes as his younger lover licked his hand clean, then urged Jared off of him.

“Get on your hands and knees.”

Jared moved into position, resting his upper body against the mattress and shaking his ass.

“Well? Are you just going to look, or do you plan to fuck me anytime soon?”

Jensen ignored him and grabbed his waist to steady himself, sliding home in a single thrust. The new position allowed deeper penetration, and both men moaned with pleasure. Jensen pumped his hips as he felt himself approaching the edge, and Jared pushed back against him. He flexed his anal muscles around the thick cock, causing Jensen to let out a strangled groan. His thrusts sped up and became erratic as his orgasm roared through him. He slammed into Jared and stilled, his fingers digging into soft flesh as he emptied into his lover.

Jensen pulled his softening cock out and flopped onto his back, throwing one arm across his eyes as tremors ran through him. He was vaguely aware of Jared dropping onto the bed and rolling on his side. He considered dragging him into the shower so that he didn't leak cum onto the sheets, but the younger man was already half asleep. He pulled the blankets over his shoulders and ran a hand through the dark hair before getting out of bed and heading into the shower by himself. He thought about the upcoming evening as he soaped his body and washed his hair. By the time he had dried off and shaved, he had the night planned out.

Jared awoke a couple of hours later to the beeping of his cell phone signaling an incoming text message. He blinked as he sat up, grabbing his phone and opening the message.

Hello, sleeping beauty -

Shower, shave, put on the clothes on the dresser and meet me on the beach at 6:00. I have a surprise for you.

Love, Jensen

Jared was instantly curious. He thought about trying to find Jensen and demand his surprise right then, but decided to follow instructions. He took a few moments to strip the bed and put on fresh sheets before he got into the shower. The warm water beating against his back and shoulders was relaxing, and as he cleaned himself, his mind drifted to what Jensen could be planning. Reagan beat a steady tempo against his insides, as if she were urging him to hurry up and find out. Jared smiled and patted his stomach. “I hear you, baby girl. Let's go find out what your daddy is up to.”

 

He climbed out of the shower and carefully dried himself before padding into the bedroom to get dressed. He pulled on a loose pair of black linen pants and cream colored button-down shirt. There were no particular shoes set out, so Jared decided to go barefoot. He raked his fingers through his hair, debating whether to spend time on it or not. Jensen was always telling him that he liked his hair better in a natural state, so he shrugged and left it that way. A couple sprays of cologne finished his preparations, and he walked outside to find Jensen. Written in the sand directly in front of the house were the words THIS WAY with an arrow pointing to the left. He went in the direction indicated, enjoying the feel of the sand beneath his bare feet. Although the sun was beginning to set, there was still plenty of light, and the soft breeze was warm and comfortable. He walked about ½ mile before he saw a table covered with flickering white candles. In the middle of the table set a small, gray velvet box. A note propped up next to it read OPEN ME.

Jared looked around, searching for his absent lover. His hand shook slightly as he cracked open the box, revealing a stunning ring. The band was platinum with two sparkling diamonds flanking a pink diamond. The stones were set flat against the ring, and the inscription inside simply read Love, Jensen.

“Like it?”

Jared jumped and whirled around in surprise as Jensen walked out from behind an outcropping of rocks. He moved toward Jared, taking the box from his hands and removing the ring. He placed the box on the table and held the ring in one hand, the other reaching out to clasp Jared's. Green eyes locked with hazel as Jensen began to speak.

“Five years ago today, I finally worked up the nerve to ask my gorgeous co-star and best friend for a date. Somehow, I was lucky enough to have him say yes. You are my world, Jay. You can drive me crazy and make me the happiest man in the world in the same breath, and I fall more in love with you every day. I can't picture my life without you. Will you marry me?”

Jared glanced from Jensen to the ring and back again, unable to form words. After what felt like an eternity, his body finally responded to his brain screaming at him to do something and pulled Jensen into a kiss. It was long, slow, and deep, and Jensen responded eagerly. They broke apart, and Jared pulled back long enough to shove his left hand toward his boyfriend. Jensen slid the ring onto his finger and smiled at him. “It looks perfect.”

Jared ran a finger over his newest piece of jewelry. “How long have you been planning this?”

“A few months. It took some time to design the ring. I went back and forth on the band and type of stones and finally decided on this design. The two regular diamonds represent us, and the pink diamond is for Reagan.” His face broke into a thousand watt smile. “It looks just as great on you as I thought it would. I know we always said we didn't need a ceremony to be married, and I know that we're husbands in our hearts. But now we have someone else to think about, and I want things to be legal.”

Suddenly overcome with emotion, Jared placed a hand on the back of Jensen's neck and tugged him forward until their foreheads were touching. His voice was thick with unshed tears when he spoke. “I love you, Jen, and I love our daughter. I can't wait to start our lives as parents. And just as soon as I lose this baby weight and don't look like I'm smuggling a watermelon under my shirt, we're going to get married because I can't imagine a single day without you.”

The two men remained in each others arms, losing track of time as they exchanged soft kisses and the water gently lapped onto the shore.


	8. Welcoming A New Life

Jensen was making lunch for himself when the doorbell rang. He pulled a bag of chips out of the cabinet and called, “Come on in, Chris! The door's open.”

Chris walked into the kitchen a moment later with an armful of painting supplies. “Hey bro, what's up?”

“Not too much. Just thought I'd have some lunch before we get to work on the nursery. Want a sandwich?”

“Sure. We've got about an hour to kill before Chad gets here anyway.”

“Cool. Ham or turkey?”

“Both. With mustard and cheese.”

Jensen made Chris's sandwich and handed it to him with some salt and vinegar chips. He sat at the table across from him and bit into his own sandwich. Chris swallowed a huge bite and crunched into a chip. “So, where's Jared?”

Jensen frowned. “Resting in our room. He hasn't been feeling that great the past couple of days.”

“What's wrong?”

“He's had a bad headache off and on and been a little nauseous. He wanted to help us paint but, I don't think he should.”

“Yeah, you're probably right dude. Better safe than sorry.” He took another bite and chewed. “So, he has about a month to go?”

“A little over five weeks.”

“Wow. Not long now. Are you guys ready?”

Jensen took a sip from his water bottle. “As ready as we can be. I know Jared is ready for the pregnancy to be over. He's really uncomfortable.”

“Fuck, yeah, I'm uncomfortable. You would be too if you were the size of a small house. Hi, Chris.”

“Hey, Jared. Thought you were resting.”

“I just came down to grab some water. Do we have any more Tylenol, Jen? My head is killing me.”

Jensen opened a new bottle and handed it to Jared who downed some pills with a drink of water. “Your head's bothering you again? I thought your headache went away.”

“Well, it's back. I swear to God, once this baby pops out, I'm never letting you and your super sperm near me again.”

Jensen rolled his eyes, having heard this particular threat more than once. He pulled Jared close and put his hands on his stomach, rubbing the taut flesh. “Why don't you go lay back down? Sleep might help your head feel better.”

Jared nodded and sighed. “I think I'm going to take a warm shower first.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Do you need me to do anything?”

“No, I'm fine. I love you, Jen.”

“Love you more. Call me if you need anything else.”

Jared headed upstairs as Jensen cleaned the remains of lunch. “Do you want to watch TV until Chad gets here, or do you want to go ahead and get started?”

“Let's just get started. Maybe we can get the base coat on the walls by the time he gets here.”

They walked upstairs and into the nursery. Jensen had already covered the floor with plastic and put tape around the windows, so they cracked open the cans of cream colored paint and got to work on the walls. They had been working for about twenty minutes and were making a fair amount of progress when a loud thump from the master bedroom froze them. They looked at each other, and Jensen ran to the room with Chris hot on his heels.

They found Jared on his knees by the bed in a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, his hair damp from the shower. He was rubbing his forehead and looked dazed. Jensen dropped to his knees beside him and took his hand, looking into his eyes. “Jay, what happened?”

“I'm not sure. I started feeling dizzy in the shower. I thought I was getting overheated so I got out and came in here. I got dressed and was about to get into bed when I got this sharp pain right under my ribcage and my vision sort of grayed out.” Fear came into his eyes as he spoke. “Jen, it really hurts. I think something's wrong.”

Jensen fought to keep his voice steady and be calm. “Chris's going to help you into bed while I call Micheal. Everything's going to be fine.”

Jared nodded. “Ok. Ok.”

Jensen took his cell into the hallway and pulled the door shut. He dialed Micheal’s number and waited impatiently for him to pick up. 

“Dr. Starnes office.”

“Hi, I need to speak to Dr. Starnes. Please tell him Jensen Ackles is calling, and it's an emergency.”

“Certainly, Mr. Ackles. Hold please.”

Less than two minutes later, the doctor's voice came across the line. “Hey, Jensen. What's up?”

“I'm not really sure.” He gave Micheal a rundown of Jared's symptoms and described what had just happened. His hopes that the doctor would tell him things sounded normal evaporated quickly.

“I want you to get him to the hospital ASAP. I'll meet you there.”

Icy fingers gripped Jensen's heart. “What do you think is wrong?”

“I'm not sure, but I need to see him and do some tests. Just get him there as fast as you can, but try to keep him calm.”

“I'll do my best. See you soon.”

He took in a deep breath and let it out, pushing down the rising fear. He knew that Jared would pick up on his mood, so he willed himself to be calm. He opened the bedroom door and walked inside. “Ok, Micheal wants us to meet him at the hospital so he can run some tests. Chris, can you go get the car started while I help Jared get ready?”

“Sure, man. I'll pull it out of the garage and wait in the driveway.”

“Thanks, bro. We'll be right down.”

Chris left and Jensen hurried around the room, grabbing socks and shoes and a jacket for Jared. 

“What's wrong, Jensen? And don't tell me nothing. I know you.”

Jensen stopped what he was doing and crossed to the bed, sitting next to Jared. “Everything is going to turn out fine. Micheal just wants to do some tests to find out what's going on. I promise you that I won't let anything happen to you or our daughter. Now let's just get ready and go to the hospital, ok?”

“Ok. Yeah. Let's go.”

They headed downstairs and climbed in the car, driving to the hospital in silence. Chris let them out at the entrance and went to park the car while Jensen went up to the information desk.

“Hi, we're supposed to meet Dr. Starnes here. Do you know where we can find him?”

The woman behind the desk checked her computer and made a quick call. “He's waiting for you. Just take the elevator up to the fourth floor and go to the first office on the right.”

“Thank you.” They followed the directions and walked into the office where Micheal was waiting.

“Hi, guys,” he said, shaking hands with both of them. “So, Jared, I hear you're not feeling that great. Have you noticed a decrease in the baby's movements?”

“No, she's still kicking like a soccer player.”

Micheal made some notes on his chart. “Ok, that's good. It doesn't sound like she's in distress. Come sit over here and let's get your vitals.” He checked Jared's weight, blood pressure, and temperature, then handed him a plastic cup. “You know what to do with this.”

Jared disappeared into the bathroom, and Jensen pounced. “What is it? I saw your face when you checked his blood pressure.”

“I have an idea of what's going on, but I need to run a test on his urine before I say anything.”

Jared returned and handed the cup to Micheal. He took it and walked out, saying, “You guys sit tight. I'll be back in a couple minutes.”

Jared sat and picked his nails while Jensen paced the small office. Neither man spoke as they waited for the doctor to return. After about five minutes, Micheal came back into the room with a grave expression on his face.

“Well, the news isn't great. Jared has developed a condition called pre-eclampsia. It's basically high blood pressure caused by pregnancy. And I do mean high. Right now his BP is 180/110, and that's about as high as it can get without it being an emergency situation. He's also spilling protein into his urine.”

Jared paled, pressing his hands protectively against his belly. Jensen put his hand on the older man's thigh and asked, “So what can we do about it? How do we get it down?”

“The only cure for pre-eclampsia is delivering the baby. Once she's out, his blood pressure will come down to normal levels.”

Jared spoke up. “Not happening. I still have five weeks to go. She's not ready to be born.”

Jensen squeezed Jared's leg to quiet him. “What are the risks to Jared if we let the pregnancy continue?”

“There's the risk of stroke, heart attack, seizures, coma, or even death.”

“And what if we deliver the baby?”

“Any premature delivery has a certain amount of risk, but in this case, she would be safer outside than inside. She's nearly full term at this point and all of her major organs have formed. In my opinion, we need to get her out sooner rather than later.”

“Can we talk about this alone for a minute?”

“Sure. No matter what, I'm going to admit Jared to the hospital, so I'll let you talk while I go make the arrangements.” Micheal left and closed the door behind him, allowing the two men privacy to talk.

“There's nothing to talk about, Jensen. I'm not going to put our daughter's life in danger by letting them take her early.”

Jensen cupped Jared's cheek and looked into his eyes. “I know you're scared. I am too. But you heard what Micheal said. She's in more danger now than she would be if she came early. Right now, she's completely dependent on you. If something happens to you, where does that leave her? I don't want to lose you both because of something that can be corrected by letting her be born.”

A single tear trailed down Jared's cheek. “Why is this happening? I'm supposed to keep her safe, and I can't even do that. What kind of parent am I going to be if I can't even get her here safely?”

Jensen used his thumb to wipe the lone tear away. “Stop, Jared. You've done an awesome job getting our baby here. This is just one of a zillion things that life is going to throw at us while we raise her. We just have to roll with it and deal with one thing at a time, ok?”

“Ok. You're right. I just hate feeling so out of control.”

“I know you do. But we're going to get through this, and when we do, we'll have a beautiful baby girl to take home and love for the rest of our lives. Let's go find Micheal and tell him what we decided.”

They found the doctor in the next room, making the arrangements to have Jared admitted to the hospital and told him what they had decided. The next hour was a whirlwind of activity. Jared had an IV and an epidural placed while Jensen washed up and dressed in hospital surgical scrubs. He was taken into the surgical suite where Jared lay while his abdomen was prepped with an antiseptic wash. Jensen sat on the stool by Jared's head and held his hand as the nurse confirmed that the epidural had taken effect. They raised a small drape just below his neck to block his view of his abdomen as Micheal came in.

“Ready to meet your baby, guys?”

Jensen squeezed Jared's hand as they looked at each other and answered, “Ready as we'll ever be.”

“Ok, let's get this show on the road. After I make the initial incision, I should be able to get the baby out in less than five minutes.”

The following moments were quiet except for the medical terms that flew through the room as the team worked to extract the baby. Jensen locked eyes with Jared and resisted the urge to peek over the drape as the operation progressed.

“A little more suction here....let's move that out of the way....good. Ok...I feel the head....just need to move her down a bit – and here she comes!” 

A piercing cry filled the air as Reagan made her opinion of recent events known. Jared closed his eyes, overcome with relief at hearing their daughter cry. Jensen felt tears slide down his cheeks as he documented the first moments of their little girl's life with his iPhone. They cleaned the baby and checked her weight and length. She was diapered and dressed in a white shirt and pink hat before being wrapped in a multicolored baby blanket and handed to Jensen. He carried her over to Jared, who ran trembling fingers over her tiny cheeks.

“Hi, sweetie. I hope you're not always going to be so dramatic about things.”

Jensen laughed. “If she's anything like you, she will be.”

A smiling nurse took her from Jensen, who gave her up with a questioning look at Micheal. He hurried to explain, “She's just going to be taken to the nursery while Jared gets settled in his room.”

Jared spoke up from his position on the table where two nurses were closing his incision. “She's ok, isn't she?”

“Don't worry, everything seems fine. Her breathing and reflexes are good, I don't foresee any problems there. She's a good size for a 35 weeker – 6 lbs 6 oz and 18 inches. You did everything right when you were carrying her, Jared, and that's going to help her now. We just want to get you set up and comfortable, and then they'll bring her to you.”

Jared was wheeled to his room as Jensen headed to the waiting room to update Chris. When he got there, he was surprised to see not only Chris, but also Chad.

Chris jumped to his feet when he saw Jensen. “So, is everything ok?”

“Everything is just fine.” He pulled up a picture on his phone. “Reagan Breanna Padalecki-Ackles, 6 lbs 6 oz and 18 inches. Brown hair, green eyes, and absolutely beautiful.”

Chad asked, “How's Jared?”

“Tired, but otherwise good. Very relieved that she's healthy. He's on his way to his room right now, but I wanted to ask you guys a favor before I join him.”

Chris spoke up. “Name it, man. Anything.”

“Well, Reagan coming early sort of threw a wrench into things, and there's a lot of stuff we don't have ready. I mean, all of the furniture is bought, but nothing is put together. The nursery isn't decorated, and all of the clothes need to be washed before she can wear them.”

Chris put a hand on his shoulder. “Don't even worry about it, bro. We got this. You just go take care of Jared and that beautiful little girl of yours.”

Jensen smiled. “Thanks guys. This really means a lot to me – to both of us. I'm going to head up to Jared's room, but you can call my cell if you have any questions.”

He took the elevator up to his fiance's room as the other men left the hospital. He walked in and found Jared lying in bed resting. The dark haired man opened his eyes when he heard the door open and his face fell a bit when he saw Jensen.

“Hey, don't look so disappointed,” he said, crossing to the bed and kissing Jared.

“Sorry. I thought maybe they were bringing the baby in.”

“She'll be here soon. How are you feeling?”

Jared motioned to the IV in his arm. “Right now I feel great. Morphine is a wonder drug. I'm just tired and anxious to see Reagan.”

“Let me show you some pictures. I know you couldn't see much after the delivery.”

They were scrolling through the pictures on Jensen's phone when a light knock came at the door, followed by a nurse pushing a clear bassinet. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but I've got a little lady here who insisted on seeing her parents.” She lifted Reagan out of the bassinet. “Who wants to hold her first?”

The two men glanced at each other. “You take her, Jared. You haven't gotten to hold her yet.” He raised the bed and helped Jared into a sitting position. When he was situated, the nurse deposited the tiny bundle into his waiting arms. “She'll probably be ready for her first feeding soon. There are ready-to-feed bottles in the bottom of the bassinet, just take the top off and screw on the nipple. If you need anything, press the call button – otherwise, I'll be back for her in an hour.” She left and shut the door behind her, leaving the little family alone for the first time.

Jared pulled Reagan's blanket open, inspecting her tiny fingers and toes. She opened her eyes enough to see that they were the same green as Jensen's.

“Look, Jensen, she has your eyes.”

“And she has your hair.”

“She has your lips, too.”

Just then Reagan screwed up her face and began to wail. Jensen hurried to get a bottle ready for her and handed it to Jared. The baby's cries faded as she latched onto the nipple and ate hungrily. 

Jensen grinned at Jared. “She definitely has your appetite.”

“Hey, she knows what she likes.”

They grew quiet as the baby drank her fill, trying to absorb the huge changes in their lives over the past few hours.

“She's perfect, Jensen. Absolutely perfect. I already love her so much I can't describe it.”

“I know. It's hard to believe we made such a beautiful baby.”

Jared looked from Reagan to Jensen. “I love you, Jensen.”

“I love you, too. Thanks for making me a daddy.”

Reagan drifted off to sleep in Jared's arms as the two men gazed at her in awe. Life would never be the same, and they couldn't wait to start the next stage.

THE END


End file.
